Delhi govt unable to protect NE-girls: Irani

Imphal, Sep 6 : Extending her strong disapproval to harassments meted out to Northeast girls in the national capital, New Delhi, BJP's Women Wing chief Smriti Irani Sunday slammed both the UPA and Congress governments in the national capital for being unnable to create a secure environment for the people of the region.

"Both the ruling UPA and Congress governments in New Delhi has failed to take up appropriate actions to check and control the increasing harassment meted out to girls from the Northeastern region.

This shows that both the governments are neglecting the region," Irani said talking to reporters here before leaving for New Delhi after her two day visit to Manipur.

She demanded that the Delhi governments should take up special measures to provide a secure environment for the women of the region who are in the national capital for their studies or working in jobs.

Thousands of girls are staying in the capital (New Delhi) for definite purposes.

Parents and guardians of the region send them thinking that Delhi is the capital of their motherland and security will be provided by the government.

But nothing has been done to repose faith in the people of the region.

"It's shameful for the governments (UPA rule national government and Congress ruled Delhi government) to be unable to check and control the harassments meted out to the girls from Northeast," Smriti Irani criticized while observing that Congress talks of women empowerment is a mockery as far as the region is concerned.

She also talked on various future plans for the BJP's Mahila Morcha for empowering women and said that various women oriented programmes under "Nari Shakti" campaign will be launched in the near future and the campaign will give special emphasis to the women of the Northeastern states.

"I assure the youth that I will extend all corporation in improving the social status of women in the society," the actress turned politician said stating that her party will strengthen its women wing in the states of the region so that the voice of the women of the state could be raised upto the national level.

She had a plan to take up self help groups for the women of the region and expose their handcraft products at the national level by taking part at the national fairs.

In the context of the state, Irani said assured the BJP leaders here that she will try her best to block the funds amounting to tune of Rs 1872 crore to be sanctioned for rejuvenation and beautification of Imphal city under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) hinting that the fund to be released by the Centre might be the region behind the suspension of Imphal Municipal Council (IMC).

"I understood that Congress led SPF government here had suspended the local elected body of IMC so that they can divert the funds without any hindrances.

I will convince the matter to the authority concerned of the JNNURM in this regard," Irani said.

Mention may be made Manipur government had put under suspension the IMC for six months by an order issued on August 9, 2010 with charges of misappropriation of huge amounts of developmental funds.

But the BJP, Manipur Pradesh has been strongly opposing the order alleging that it was a move of the government to divert the funds to be released under the JNNURM.

They had even urged Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to intervene in revoking the suspension order.

Smriti Irani left Imphal for New Delhi today.